Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) has released the findings of the quality auditing it had undertaken in Mumbai and Delhi to analyze the network quality of telecom operators. According to the results, Airtel scores in Mumbai and Tata Teleservices in Delhi. Both these operators have met the laid-down quality of service (QoS) benchmarks for call drop rate, which as per norms should be less than 2%.

The call drop rate in Mumbai were as shown below:

Idea – 5.56%

Tata – 5.51%

Vodafone – 4.83%

Aircel – 3.19%

Reliance – 2.29%

Airtel – 0.97%

The call drop rates in Delhi were not very different.

Idea – 2.84%

Tata – 0.84%

Vodafone – 4.28%

Aircel – 5.18%

Reliance – 17.29%

Airtel – 8.04%

According to the parameters, it is evident that most of the operators do not meet the benchmarks for quality networks. “They failed to achieve the benchmarks due to high block call rate, high drop call rate, low call setup success rate and poor Rx quality,” TRAI said.

“Given the adverse impact of call drops on the consumers, the telecom service providers (TSPs) were advised to take initiatives and improve their performance, including exploring suitable compensation for call drops,” TRAI added.

On an elaborated note, the main reasons contributing to call drops are cited as below:

Limited spectrum, delay in allocation o f spectrum, reduction in 2G frequency band after auction, and major changeover of frequencies within and across the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands on the live networks for some TSPs.

Poor coverage due to non-availability of sites for BTS in some areas; sealing of existing sites; forced closure of existing sites by local bodies. During the last six months, 801 sites in Mumbai and 523sites in Delhi were shut down due to various reasons.

The test was conducted by an agency on behalf of TRAI. Idea, Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance (GSM), Aircel & Tata(GSM) were the operators who were monitored. 23rd and 24th June 2015, a team of the agency along with a team from TRAI headquarters travelled through a prescribed route via on road and analyzed the following factors – coverage, Rx quality, accessibility, retainability, mobility, and career to interference ratio.

The on-road route was chosen after considering several factors – areas from where call drop complaints are commonly received; areas of heavy usage; residential areas away from arterial roads; office areas; areas where previous Drive tests showed network issues etc. The test was performed between 9am tp 7.30pm, to cover both peak and off-peak hours.

TRAI is evaluating the consultation paper on ‘Regulatory Framework on Call Drops’. The results are restrained to the network conditions on the prescribed route, during the day and time of the Drive test.

Reported By

Must Read

Telecom operator Vodafone India has started rolling out 3G services on its own network in Bengaluru and aims to cover the entire city in the next 60 days. The company has been providing 3G services in Bengaluru through intra-circle roaming

Sailfish was one among many new mobile operating systems that were created to challenge the duopoly of Android and iOS. But with even Windows Phone failing to make a dent despite the backing of Microsoft, Sailfish has been unable to

A report released by IDC reveals that Lenovo and Xiaomi have lost their position to other Chinese manufacturers. The data suggests that there were total 334.9 million smartphones shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2016. The figure has gone

Recent News

Telecom operators have completed the adoption of a new e-KYC (Know Your Customer) process in around 85% of the country and the rest is likely to be covered soon, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said on Monday. Speaking

The latest fitness band by Xiaomi, the Mi Band 3 became an instant success in the market. Although it does not really stand a solid chance in front of other fitness bands like Fitbit, it ships enough features for its

Chinese electronics major Xiaomi, which is focusing on amplifying its product portfolio beyond smartphones, is all set to launch on Tuesday a new business which, according to the company, will "change rural retail in India". "Excited about a new business

Leave a Reply

Off topic ; but important one! Much awaited : Spectrum sharing policy is need of the hour for efficient use of available spectrum in all operators. Did you know ? RAT Group (Reliance GSM, Aircel, Tata GSM )- 3G Pan India network expansion plan to compete with its peers AVOID 3G, BSNL 3G & MTNL 3G: These 3 network have huge debt, particularily Aircel & Tata have more than 25K Cr each, however these 3 trying to expand its 3G pan india coverage in slowly. Reliance’s 3G first/primary focus only in 3 circles : Reliance’s major responsibility is to expand… Read more »

ReplyHide Replies ∧

Sathish Kumar

July 24, 2015 2:22 am 2:22 AM

The fast rise in customer numbers has put severe pressure on the networks. The minister has rightly said it is the job and responsibility of the service providers to upgrade their networks and pushed them to conduct special drives for radio frequency optimisation with regular upgradation. Congestion or overload of network is the prime cause, with firms failing to keep pace with growing subscriber base. Another major reason is the shortage of telecom towers. Tower density is very low in the country. The shortage is critical in all cities and towns and it is estimated that at least 30 per… Read more »

ReplyHide Replies ∧

Sathish Kumar

July 24, 2015 1:32 am 1:32 AM

Please note :

Vodafone has 6115 towers, Airtel has 5988, Idea has 4804 towers, Reliance GSM has 2494 towers, while Aircel has 3749 towers in Delhi.